Suction brush assembly

ABSTRACT

A suction brush assembly is provided that includes a suction brush casing having a dust introducing channel for introducing dirt and a suction port for drawing the dirt from the dust introducing channel; a first and a second rotation plates rotatably disposed on a bottom surface of the suction brush casing and rotating in the opposite direction to each other; a rotation power source for providing power for rotating the rotation plates; a power transmission transmitting the rotation power of the rotation power source to the rotation plates; and a dirt guidance member formed on the first and the second rotation plates, for scraping off hairs or feathers from a surface to be cleaned to guide them to the dust introducing channel so that the hairs or the feathers can be easily guided to the suction port.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a suction brush assembly, and moreparticularly, to a suction brush assembly to remove hair or contaminantsscattered on an object being cleaned efficiently.

2. Description of the Related Art

A vacuum cleaner suctions dust or contaminants from an object beingcleaned, using a suction pressure generated in a suction motor housedwithin a main body, and a suction brush assembly contacting at a lowerportion to the object being cleaned.

However, such suction brush assembly has a limit in its suctionefficiency when cleaning pet hair or human hair scattered around theobject being cleaned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a suction brushassembly for removing contaminants such as pet hair or human hair froman object being cleaned efficiently and thus maximizing cleaningefficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a suction brush assembly according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a suction brush assembly according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an interior of a suction brush casing ofFIG. 1, by cutting away an upper portion;

FIG. 4 illustrates a suction port in a varied configuration from thefirst exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a first rotating plate of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a first rotating plate in a variedconfiguration from the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a first rotating plate in a variedconfiguration from the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a first rotating plate in a variedconfiguration from the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a second rotating plate in a variedconfiguration from the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a suction brush assembly 100 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention will be explained below.

The suction brush assembly 100 according to the exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention operates to collect and suction human hair or pethair scattered around an object being cleaned, in which the downstreamside is connected through a generally known extension passage (notillustrated) for fluid communication with the cleaner main body whichhouses therein a vacuum motor (not illustrated) and a dust separatingdevice (not illustrated).

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the suction brush assembly 100 according tothe exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a suctionbrush casing 110, a turbine fan 130, a first rotating plate 150, asecond rotating plate 170, and a driving force transmitting means 190.

The suction brush casing 110 includes an extension pipe connector 120formed on the rear portion to be connected with the extension passage(not illustrated) of the cleaner, and a rectangular suction port 115extended lengthwise in the front lower portion. Contaminants areintroduced through the suction port 115, moved through the inside of thesuction brush casing 110 to the extension pipe connector 120, andentered into the extension passage (not illustrated).

The turbine fan 130 is rotatably installed on a rear portion of thesuction brush casing 110.

The turbine fan 130 includes a plurality of turbine blades 130 a.Accordingly, the turbine fan 130 is rotated as the incoming air throughthe suction port 115 collides against the turbine blades 130 a.

The first and second rotating plates 150 and 170 are rotatably mountedon the lower portion of the suction brush casing 110 to rake in human orpet hair on the object being cleaned toward the suction port 115. Tothis end, the center of rotation of the first rotating plate 150 isfixed to a first rotating shaft 155 (FIG. 3), and the first rotatingshaft 155 (FIG. 3) is rotatably inserted in an inner portion of thesuction brush casing 110. The center of the second rotating plate 170 isfixed to the second rotating shaft 175 (FIG. 3), and the second rotatingshaft 175 (FIG. 3) is rotatably inserted in an inner portion of thesuction brush casing 110. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, the first andsecond rotating plates 150 and 170 have a plurality of projecting ribs152 a and 172 a formed to have an appropriate thickness to efficientlyrake in human or pen hair from the object being cleaned toward thesuction port 115. The projecting ribs 152 a and 172 a are made of rubbermaterial according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.The plurality of projecting ribs 152 a and 172 a are spiraled from thecenter portion of the first and second rotating plates 150 and 170, at apredetermined space apart from each other. In other words, theprojecting ribs 152 a and 172 a are formed on the lower surface of thefirst and second rotating plates 150 and 170 in a spiral pattern. Thefirst and second rotating plates 150 and 170 have opposite spirals, andreferring to FIG. 2, the projecting ribs 152 a of the first rotatingplate 150 spiral from the center of the first rotating plate 150clockwise, and the projecting ribs 172 a of the second rotating plate170 spiral from the center of the second rotating plate 170counterclockwise.

While the projecting ribs 152 a and 172 a of the exemplary embodimentillustrated in FIG. 5 are formed to have a predetermined thickness,other alternatives are possible. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6,the second projecting ribs 152 b may be implemented as multi-layeredribs 152 b and arranged in an alternate pattern with the projection ribs152 a at predetermined intervals.

While the projecting ribs 152 a and 172 a are formed in a spiralconfiguration on the first and second rotating plates 150 and 170 toguide human or pet hair toward the suction port 115 in the exemplaryembodiment explained above, other alternatives are possible. Referringto FIG. 7, a plurality of rods 152 c having extended tops may bearranged on the first rotating plate 150 in a clockwise spiral fashion.In this example, another rods are formed on the second rotating plate170 in a counterclockwise spiral fashion.

Referring to FIG. 8, a plurality of hook loop members 152 d may bearranged on the first rotating plate 150 in a clockwise spiral fashionaround the center of the first rotating plate 150. In this example, loopmembers are formed on the second rotating plate 170 in a spiral fashionwhich is opposite to that on the first rotating plate 150.

While the rubber projecting ribs 152 a and 172 a are formed on the firstand second rotating plates 150 and 170 in a spiral pattern to rake humanor pet hair on the object being cleaned and move this toward the suctionport 115 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention,other alternatives are possible. Referring to FIG. 9, a plurality ofbristles 152 e may be planted in the first rotating plate 150 in aspiral arrangement around the center of the first rotating plate 150,and bristles are also planted in the second rotating plate 170 in anopposite spiral arrangement to that of the bristles 152 e planed in thefirst rotating plate 150. The bristles 152 e may be made of variousmaterials.

The driving force transmitting means 190 operates to transmit a drivingforce generated by the turbine fan 130 to the first and second rotatingplates 150 and 170. The driving force transmitting means 190 includes aworm 137 extending horizontally along the coaxial direction of theturbine fan 130, and worm wheels 157 and 177 formed on the upper portionof the first and second rotating shafts 155 and 175 to correspond to theworm 137. However, the turbine fan 130 may transmit driving force to thefirst and second rotating plates 150 and 170 in various alternativemanners. While the above exemplary embodiment employs the turbine fan130 to generate a driving force from the incoming air, a separate motormay be used instead of the turbine fan 130 to transmit the driving forceto the first and second rotating plates 150 and 170.

In the above structure, a suction force is generated in the suction port115 as the suction motor (not illustrated) starts operating inside thecleaner body, and thereby suctions dust-entrained air from an objectbeing cleaned. In this process, the incoming air collides with theturbine blades 130 a of the turbine fan 130 to rotate the turbine fan130. According to the rotation of the turbine fan 130, the worm 137formed coaxially with the turbine fan 130 rotates, transmitting thedriving force to the worm wheels 157 and 177. By the driving forcetransmitted to the worm wheels 157 and 177, the first and secondrotating shafts 155 and 175 integrally formed with the worm wheels 157and 177 rotate together, and as a result, the first and second rotatingplates 150 and 170 fixed with the first and second rotating shafts 155and 175 are rotated accordingly. Referring to FIG. 2, the first rotatingplate 150 rotates counterclockwise, and the second rotating plate 170rotates clockwise. In other words, the first and second rotating plates150 and 170 are rotated toward the center part 115 a of the suction port115.

While the suction port 115 of the suction brush assembly 100 is extendedlengthwise along the front portion of the suction brush casing 110,other alternatives are possible. Referring to FIG. 4, the suction port115 may be formed to overlap a part of the central axes of the first andsecond rotating plates 150 and 170.

While the first rotating plate 150 rotates counterclockwise, theprojecting ribs 152 a are arranged on the first rotating plate 150 in aclockwise spiral fashion around the center of the first rotating plate150, and the second rotating plate 170 rotates clockwise, and theprojecting ribs 172 a are arranged on the second rotating plate 170 in acounterclockwise spiral fashion around the center of the second rotatingplate 170, other alternatives are possible. For example, when the firstrotating plate 150 rotates clockwise and the second rotating plate 170rotates counterclockwise, the projecting ribs formed on the firstrotating plate 150 may be arranged in a counterclockwise spiral fashionaround the center of the first rotating plate 150, and the projectingribs of the second plate 170 may be arranged in a clockwise fashionaround the center of the second rotating plate 170.

Hereinbelow, the operation and effect of the suction brush assembly 100according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will beexplained.

When the suction motor (not illustrated) housed inside the cleaner bodyis driven, suction force is generated in the suction port 115, tosuction dust-entrained air from an object being cleaned. Accordingly,the turbine fan 130 rotates by the incoming air, and the force by therotation of the turbine fan 130 is transmitted to the first and secondrotating plates 150 and 170 by the driving force transmitting means 190to rotate the first and second rotating plates 150 and 170.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first rotating plate 150 rotatescounterclockwise, and the second rotating plate 170 rotates clockwise.As the first and second rotating plates 150 and 170 rotate, theprojecting ribs 152 a and 172 a formed on the first and second rotatingplates 150 and 170 scratch human or pet hair off from the object beingcleaned. At this situation, because the projecting ribs 152 a of thefirst rotating plate 150 are formed in a clockwise spiral fashion aroundthe center of the first rotating plate 150 and the first rotating plate150 rotates counterclockwise, human or pet hair raked by the projectingribs 152 a is pushed toward the suction port 115.

Furthermore, because the projecting ribs 172 a of the second rotatingplate 170 are formed in counterclockwise spiral fashion around thecenter of the second rotating plate 170 and the second rotating plate170 rotates clockwise, human or pet hair raked by the projecting ribs172 a are pushed toward the suction port 115. As the human or pet hairis raked and pushed toward the suction port 115 by the projecting ribs152 a and 172 a, the hair is introduced into the dust separating device(not illustrated) mounted in the cleaner body (not illustrated) throughthe extension passage (not illustrated).

A user of the suction brush assembly can clean human or pet hair moreefficiently, because this contaminant is raked off from the object beingcleaned and pushed toward the suction port. As a result, cleaningefficiency is increased.

1. A suction brush assembly, comprising: a suction brush casing providedwith a dust introducing channel for introducing dirt on a surface to becleaned and a suction port for drawing the dirt from the dustintroducing channel; a first and a second rotation plate rotatablydisposed on a bottom surface of the suction brush casing and rotating inthe opposite direction to each other; a rotation power source forproviding power for rotating the first and the second rotation plates; apower transmission transmitting the rotation power of the rotation powersource to the first and the second rotation plates; and a dirt guidancemember formed on the first and the second rotation plates, for scrapingoff hairs or feathers of an animal spread on a surface to be cleaned toguide them to the dust introducing channel so that the hairs or thefeathers can be easily guided to the suction port.
 2. The suction brushassembly of claim 1, wherein the dirt guidance member comprises aplurality of projection ribs arranged in spaces along a helical shapewhich runs from a center of the first and the second rotation plates toan outside of the first and the second rotation plates, respectively, arotation direction of the first rotation plate and a direction that theprojection ribs are arranged on the first rotation plate are opposite toeach other, and a rotation direction of the second rotation plate and adirection that the projection ribs are arranged on the second rotationplate are opposite to each other.
 3. The suction brush assembly of claim2, wherein the dust introducing channel is formed at a front of thesuction brush casing along a longitudinal direction of the suction brushcasing.
 4. The suction brush assembly of claim 2, wherein the dustintroducing channel is formed in a shape which surrounds some frontportion of the first and the second rotation plates disposed on thebottom surface of the suction brush casing.
 5. The suction brushassembly of claim 1, wherein the dirt guidance member comprises aplurality of rod members having a projected side end and arranged inspaces along a helical shape which runs from a center of the first andthe second rotation plates to an outside of the first and the secondrotation plates, respectively, a rotation direction of the firstrotation plate and a direction that the rod members are arranged in thehelical shape on the first rotation plate are opposite to each other,and a rotation direction of the second rotation plate and a directionthat the rod members are arranged in the helical shape on the secondrotation plate are opposite to each other.
 6. The suction brush assemblyof claim 1, wherein the dirt guidance member comprises a plurality ofloop members arranged in a spaces along a helical shape which runs froma center of the first and the second rotation plates to an outside ofthe first and the second rotation plates, respectively, a rotationdirection of the first rotation plate and a direction that the loopmembers are arranged in the helical shape on the first rotation plateare opposite to each other, and a rotation direction of the secondrotation plate and a direction that the loop members are arranged in thehelical shape on the second rotation plate are opposite to each other.7. The suction brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the dirt guidancemember comprises a plurality of fibers planted along a helical shapewhich runs from a center of the first and the second rotation plates toan outside of the first and the second rotation plates, respectively, arotation direction of the first rotation plate and a direction that theplurality of fibers are planted in the helical shape on the firstrotation plate are opposite to each other, and a rotation direction ofthe second rotation plate and a direction that the plurality of fibersare planted in the helical shape on the second rotation plate areopposite to each other.
 8. The suction brush assembly of claim 1,wherein the dirt guidance member is made of rubber.
 9. A suction brushassembly, comprising: a suction brush casing having a dust introducingchannel and a suction port; a first rotation plate disposed on a bottomsurface of the suction brush casing for rotation in a first rotationdirection; a second rotation plate disposed on the bottom surface forrotation in a second rotation direction, the first and second rotationdirections being opposite one another other; a rotation power sourcegenerating a rotation power; a power transmission transmitting therotation power to the first and the second rotation plates in the firstand second rotation directions, respectively; a first dirt guidancemember on the first rotation plate, the first dirt guidance member beingconfigured to scrape hair or feathers from a surface to be cleaned andto guide the hair or feathers to the dust introducing channel, thesuction port drawing the hair or feathers from the dust introducingchannel; and a second dirt guidance member on the second rotation plate,the second dirt guidance member being configured to scrape hair orfeathers from the surface to be cleaned and to guide the hair orfeathers to the dust introducing channel.
 10. The suction brush assemblyof claim 9, wherein the first dirt guidance member comprises a firsthelical shape which runs in a first helical direction from a center ofthe first rotation plate to an outside of the first rotation plate andthe second dirt guidance member comprises a second helical shape whichruns in a second helical direction from a center of the second rotationplate to an outside of the second rotation plate.
 11. The suction brushassembly of claim 10, wherein the first helical direction and the firstrotation direction are opposite one another and the second helicaldirection and the second rotation direction are opposite one another.12. The suction brush assembly of claim 10, wherein the first dirtguidance member and/or the second dirt guidance member comprises aplurality of projection ribs.
 13. The suction brush assembly of claim10, wherein the first dirt guidance member and/or the second dirtguidance member comprises a plurality of rod members having a projectedside end and arranged in spaces along the helical shape.
 14. The suctionbrush assembly of claim 10, wherein the first dirt guidance memberand/or the second dirt guidance member comprises a plurality of loopmembers arranged in spaces along the helical shape.
 15. The suctionbrush assembly of claim 10, wherein the first dirt guidance memberand/or the second dirt guidance member comprises a plurality of fibersarranged in spaces along the helical shape.
 16. The suction brushassembly of claim 9, wherein the dust introducing channel is formed at afront of the suction brush casing along a longitudinal direction of thesuction brush casing.
 17. The suction brush assembly of claim 9, whereinthe dust introducing channel is formed in a shape which surrounds somefront portion of the first and the second rotation plates disposed onthe bottom surface of the suction brush casing.
 18. The suction brushassembly of claim 9, wherein the first dirt guidance member and/or thesecond dirt guidance member is made of rubber.